Musical CDs and data information CD-ROMs can be reproduced by CD drives as long as they meet standards even if they are counterfeits. This does not cease counterfeit manufacturers. As a countermeasure to this, various security systems have been proposed for the prevention of unauthorized copying game softwares which have been developed as results of large investments of a large number of man powers and much time.
A new security system for CD-ROMs are proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 05-185740/1993, and International Application PCT/JP 94/01243 filed based on the priority claimed from the Japanese patent application. This security system detects whether or not specific indications, such as trademarks or others, are indicated at predetermined parts of CD-ROM discs, whereby the discs are judged to be genuine products or counterfeits.
In the security system proposed in the above-described applications, when a specific indication is read, the entire specific indication is read, which unavoidably requires a certain reading time. Especially in a case that a specific indication is visibly displayed on an information storage surface with using a group of pits over a plurality of tracks, all said tracks have to be read, which takes much reading time.
One object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device with a new security system built in, which can effectively reject or exclude counterfeit products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and an information processing method which can reduce a reading time of reading a specific security indication.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and an information processing method which provides added security against counterfeiting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and an information processing method which can effectively expel or exclude counterfeit information storage mediums from the market even when security systems are released.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an information processing method which can effectively reject or exclude use of counterfeit information storage mediums.